The APC chieftain added that Rivers people know their real leaders who have their interest at heart, and not those taking advantage of the economic situation to embarrass them.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has been told to stop embarrassing people of the state.
A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dakuku Peterside said this in a statement released on Thursday.
Peterside cautioned Wike to stop embarrassing Rivers people, whom he described as politically sophisticated and conscious.
The APC chieftain added that Rivers people know their real leaders who have their interest at heart, and not those taking advantage of the economic situation to embarrass them.
Peterside made the statement while speaking at a rally in Opobo, headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.
The former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said Wike cannot influence how the people of the state would vote during the 2023 elections.
The APC chieftain asserted that the people of Rivers now see beyond Wike’s antics, saying that the past seven years is one of the worst eras in Rivers because of “leadership driven by selfish interest and unbridled ego”.
He said: “Rivers people know who their true leaders are; not those who presently take advantage of the harsh economic situation to hoodwink and turn them into articles of political and financial merchandise.
“There is no doubt that the last seven remain the worst in Rivers’ history. The ordinary Rivers man and woman were left out of governance while those in authority enriched themselves, appropriated the people’s commonwealth and shamelessly brandished even that which they stole, before the people. Rivers people never had it this bad.”
Peterside noted that the Opobo and Nkoro ethnic groups were one of the most politically enlightened stocks in Rivers. He argued that as such, they could not be deceived or blackmailed with any Greek gift.
He added: “Opobo/Nkoro people are one of the most politically enlightened stocks in Rivers State and no one can deceive us with a Greek gift. Governor Wike had the opportunity of developing Opobo-Nkoro in the past 7 years but did not do it. He preferred to fret away our resources junketing abroad searching for personal relevance that will not add value to Rivers state and her people.
“We will remind our people how much Wike and his cohorts failed them and why we cannot continue in that trajectory. Nigerians are unanimous that the next election will be about character, competence and service delivery. It will not be about ethnicity. Opobo- Nkoro people know that a competent governor with a character they would be proud of would be superior to brandishing ethnic sentiment.”